Jeffrey and Blythe Thompson could paint their two-story Belmont home green, pink or purple if they liked.

They could tear it down and build something much less majestic, to the likely dismay of downtown merchants and neighbors.

But if city leaders heed a request to rezone the 3,500-square-foot home and put a business in it, the city would gain more control over what can happen to the 1-acre lot at 123 N. Main St.

Jeff Thompson believes opponents of his pitch are missing that point. Some residents and business owners worry a change in the home’s allowed use will trigger a trend of downtown homes being converted into businesses. Thompson contends those fears have no basis.

Even in his case, he contends it’s not the end of the world for his home to host a boutique or light retail operation. A bank, restaurants and other businesses already face him across Main Street, and another home next door long ago went through the transition to commercial.

“There’s not a family in town that’s more concerned about historic preservation and keeping this city’s character alive than we are,” he said. “We have deep roots in Belmont. This would just give us options.”

Vote coming Monday

City Council members will vote on the Thompsons’ proposal during what’s expected to be a heavily attended Monday meeting. If approved, the stately house would be rezoned from residential to neighborhood commercial. The Thompsons would lease space on the first floor to Allison Love’s Fine Jewelry, which also has storefronts in Charlotte and Rock Hill, S.C.

The Belmont Planning and Zoning board couldn’t agree on a recommendation last month. Its members voted in a rare 4-4 deadlock.

“We get very few 4-4 ties,” said Assistant City Manager Adrian Miller.

But the Thompsons’ nearest residential neighbors have endorsed the request. So have city planners. They believe it fits within the city’s land use plan, and that strict conditions would ensure the property’s character remains true to its downtown surroundings.

“We feel it’s a good proposal,” said Miller. “We’d basically be creating a one-property historic district where they would have to get the city’s approval to make any changes to the outside of the house.”

Commercialization concerns

David Hostetler Jr. has been one of the most vocal opponents of the change. He and his wife, who owns a downtown realty office, live a block north at 215 N. Main St. For the last month, they have lobbied residents to sign a petition against the rezoning.

Hostetler fears it would only be the beginning of homes disappearing along Main Street. The older houses that remain throughout downtown add to the city’s charm, giving it the feeling of an extended neighborhood, he said. As more houses are converted to businesses, he believes that character will change to the detriment of Belmont.

Valerie Pressley is among the many residents in Hostetler’s corner. She lives on South Central Avenue, across from Stowe Manor, and regularly laments that historic property’s use as a site for weddings, receptions and the like, instead of serving as a private home.

She fears the same thing will gradually happen in the homes closest to downtown, destroying something that makes the city so appealing.

“At some point, on some level, they’re losing the ideal that Belmont is about, and it’s not right,” said Pressley. “This is about men developing for monetary purposes and values. And it’s greedy, and I don’t like it.”

Conditions in place

Thompson and his wife recently moved to Hillsborough for work-related reasons. But they put a lot of effort and money into restoring their downtown Belmont home after buying in 1996 and raising two children there. The couple want to keep it in their family.

“There’s a lot of our blood, sweat and tears in that house,” he said.

The zoning change would allow the home to function as a business or a residence. A wheelchair ramp and four new parking spaces would be built outside, as well as wheelchair-accessible bathrooms inside.

A commercial sign advertising the business would be allowed. But no other outdoor changes would be permitted to areas of the property visible from the street, Miller said.

A restaurant would be a permitted use, but not a nightclub that has live music, or a funeral home, for example. If the house or business burns down, whatever is rebuilt must mimic the current structure in character.

It would be a lot like what has occurred with the historic house next door, which is now home to Blythe Gallery, Miller said.

“We feel like people have a misunderstanding when it comes to the protections and conditions that will be on the house,” Thompson said.

Miller said the city doesn’t plan to begin pushing homeowners in the heart of downtown to convert their properties to commercial uses.

“Our comprehensive plan just says we want the commercial footprint to expand over time,” he said. “Part of what makes downtown Belmont work is that we’ve got a nice mixture of uses.”

You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or twitter.com/GazetteMike.

What: Belmont City Council meeting

Where: City Hall, 115 N. Main St.

When: 7 p.m.

Why: Jeffrey and Blythe Thompson want the city to conditionally rezone their 1.1-acre property at 123 N. Main St., from residential to neighborhood commercial, for a new retail use. The city will hold a public hearing on the proposal.